Two men got into a violent fight on a plane, causing a chaotic scene that was captured on camera. The Frontier Airlines flight was heading to Miami after departing an airport in Philadelphia on June 30 when the flight was disturbed by passengers Ishaan Sharma and Keanu Evans, who began choking each other.
News outlet People cited an arrest affidavit that said Evans was assaulted by Sharma, a 21-year-old Newark man.
Cellphone clips from multiple passengers show the pair grappling over their seats while other travellers plead, “Stop!” and “Let him go!” Evans later told Miami’s WSVN that the dispute began long before anyone pressed record.
According to him, Sharma uttered bizarre threats, such as You puny mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death.” He said the passenger then grabbed him by the throat without provocation. Evans claims he had warned flight attendants about Sharma’s behaviour before the fight.
According to Evans, he was told to press the call button if the matter escalated. “He just got up, put his forehead on mine like a challenge, then wrapped his hand around my neck,” Evans said. “At that moment it was fight or flight.”
After crew members and passengers broke up the scuffle, a flight attendant repeatedly instructed Sharma to return to his seat. The video shows him eventually complying. Once the aircraft landed in Miami, police boarded, escorted Sharma away, and took him for medical evaluation; arrest records note he had a visible cut above his left eyebrow. Evans, by contrast, suffered only superficial scratches and reported no breathing problems.
Sharma’s attorney, Renee Gordon, offered a starkly different narrative in bond court, saying her client “was meditating” as part of his religious practice when the incident erupted. He pointed a finger at Evans as the instigator, saying Evans disliked Sharma’s religious practice.
The judge granted Sharma a $500 bond and imposed strict conditions, including a no-contact order with Evans both in person and online. He was also instructed to stay at least 500 feet away from any location associated with Evans’ school or place of work.
